Too Many For One Alone

[Jason McCarthy]

Location: Hospital in England

Weather: Sixty-three degrees and a slight drizzle of rain

Jason had just gotten off of his sixteen hour shift and had fallen onto a chair to rest for a little while. He was completely exhausted from all of the things that had been happening. He could hear something. It was very faint but, it sounded like...sirens. Oh, no. Another raid. He thought to himself. He quickly got up and ran into one of the nurse's offices. He crouched near another nurse that was shaking with fear. He told her to try and stay calm.

The sirens suddenly stopped and the raid came to an end. Jason thought that he was going to go and take a quick nap but, he was wrong. He heard alot of yelling and saw the door get pushed in with much force. Jason ran to see what had happened.

He saw a man with alot of blood flowing from his neck area.

"Get 'im on a stretcher. Somebody get me some clots!" Jason ordered. He was now holding a rag on the man's neck to try and stop the bleeding. It wasn't working.

"Get me some towels if'n ye have any. Jason said this because he knew he had used over thirty towels in the last day for various things.

Finally a nurse came by and gave him some clotting powder, towels, and some whiskey. Jason took the whiskey and poured a little on a towel and put it on the man's shrapnel wound. He then took a dry towel and started to wipe off the blood that had now stopped spraying across the room. Then he took the powder, ripped open the bag and shook it onto the wound.

Jason saw a man walk past with a Red Cross on his arm. He looked a little confused of where he was.

'Ey you. With the cross on yer arm. Come over here and hold this here bandage will ye? Jason asked the man.

[Hosp. Aid Patrick O'Connors]

Patrick was walking away from the train station with his bottle of Vodka when he heard sirens. He quickly darted toward the hospital and got in it.He than looked to the door after entering and saw it get pushed open and a man with shrapnel in his neck and men carrying him in. He walked past where they had brought the man and heard a man say "'Ey you. With the cross on yer arm. Come over here and hold this here bandage will ye?", Patrick walked over to him and asked what he could do to help. After the response from Jason, Patrick took out his bottle of vodka took a swig and put it back in his medical bag. He did what he could do to help Jason with the patient.




After helping Jason really quick Patrick made his way down he line of patients and checked up on them. Suddenly the Sirens went off again. Patrick watched as a lot of people took cover and how Patrick just stood there. Patrick got really pissed off with he sirens and yelled "Stop with the god damn sirens already!!!". The sirens continued on for a couple of more minutes and while they were going bombs were hitting certain parts of the city. The rattling shook a lot of the people in the hospital one of which was Patrick. It knocked him to the ground. Patrick stood back up and the bombings stopped along with he sirens. Patrick was relieved.



Patrick looked to the patients again and continued down the line checking on the patients, when he noticed one of them from back home. It was Aldo an old friend of Patrick who sent him the journal. Patrick checked on Aldo's wounds he only took a sniper bullet to the left shoulder. "Aldo?!?!?!" Patrick questioned. Aldo looked to Patrick and said "Patrick!, did you get the journal i sent ya man?".

"Yeh why did you send me it and where did you get it here in this hell hole?" Patrick replied. "well i thought since your a Medic you might need something to write your thoughts down in so you dont breakdown and i got it in a French city from a dead kraut, if you ever noticed on the cover there is a couple spots of blood, sorry about that" Aldo said.


" Thank you,No i never noticed and it is not a problem at all" Patrick said. Aldo did not reply so Patrick moved his way down the line. checking every single patient making sure they all were fine. After that he made his way back down to Jason. " i am Patrick O'Connors anything else i can do for ya?".

[Jason McCarthy]

Jason heard the siren go off and started to walk to cover when he saw a man stand up and yell something. He couldn't hear what he said because the explosions drowned out all of the surrounding noise. Jason ignored the man and held the hand of an elderly man who had been shot by a stray bullet which hit him in the forearm. He gave the man a few words of encouragement and went back to his other patient with the shrapnel.

He noticed the man he had asked to help him came over and said,"I am Patrick O'Connors anything else i can do for ya?".

Jason gave a quick nod and said, "Jason McCarthy.Nice to meet ye. Now if you could take this towel and apply some pressure to the wound. I don't want this young lad bleeding all over me floors." He said as he smiled to the young man.

Jason stepped away quickly and asked a nurse at the front desk who was doing rounds that night. He realized that the other two doctors were gone for the week. He gave the nurse his thanks for reminding him and started walking back to the man he had just left.

Looks like it be just ye and myself, Lord. He said to himself in his head. As usual. He thought with a smile on his face.

"Alright, lad. Where we be at with this young sir?" Jason asked Patrick.

[Hosp. Aid Patrick O'Connors]

"Yes sir!" Patrick than quickly applied pressure to the wound waiting for Jason. Patrick looked over to Jason, "we need to help this young one with his wound and afterwards i want you to take off and go get yourself a coffee or a drink, you look like you need it" Patrick said to Jason. Patrick than took a cigarette out of his pocket and put it in the young mans mouth. Patrick pulled a lighter from his pocket and light the smoke for the dieing lad. "Do not worry lad let the stress go". Patrick looked to the other patients one of which was the spot where Aldo was supposed to be. Patrick than said "What happened to Aldo!?!?!, he was not hit the bad was he?!?".


Patrick did what he could do to help the patients. He always tried his hardest and never gave up on patients. Patrick was also sick of sitting here in England helping patients coming from the front. He wanted to be on the field helping men not sitting in England. Patrick loved England just hated being in a hospital. Patrick thought about trying to ask his CO for a transfer to the front but he was too much of a coward to do so. Patrick always hated of how cowardly he was when it came to asking higher ranks. Patrick went into a daze for a few moments thinking of all the men in his company.

[Jason McCarthy]

Jason looked at Patrick in surprise at his offer to take care of the patient while he took a break. He wasn't used to being offered things. Something small, even a cup of coffee and a five minute rest was a pretty big thing to Jason. The only time he really got to rest was when he slept. Which was all but three to five hours a night. With so many raids happening in England it was hard to keep open beds, and open morgue slabs.

So much death was happening all around Jason. It was hard not to think, Why would God allow this to happen? or Why hasn't God done something? Jason knew this wasn't God's doing, but man's. The wickedness of men will always be around. He said to himself.

"Aye lad. I might take ye up on that thar offer." Jason said with a small smirk. "Ey, bud. He was admitted into room five-sixteen if'n ye want to see him. I can stitch help this here lad. He said as he gave Patrick his clipboard which had all of the name's of the patients in the hospital and their injuries.

Jason saw the man get the 'thousand mile stare' as he liked to call it. Many men did it when they were remembering someone from home or something of their past. He nudged the man and asked, "Who be ye rememberin' lad? A pretty girl?" He said the last question with a small laugh at the end of it.

[Hosp. Aid Patrick O'Connors]

"Thank you, and i was thinking of the men of my company, they are all good guys and i can not wait to serve in combat with them" Patrick said. Patrick than took the clipboard and started skimming through the names of the patients.


Patrick looked over to Jason. "Jason is it?, well i hope you take that break, you need it" Patrick said. Patrick set his Journal he had in his hands down on a table. Patrick than looked back to the clipboard at the patients names and started thinking if they were in his company or not. Patrick went and checked up on as many patients as he could within an hour. He was happy that there was not any air raid sirens going off in a while. Patrick slowly made his way back to where Jason was. "Hey Jason ready for that break yet?" Patrick waited for a response.


Patrick than looked back to his journal. He picked it up and started to write something down in it. After writing he set it down back on the table. Patrick was getting very pissed to be stuck in a hospital. Patrick thought that this was it and he was going to ask his CO the next day if he could be transfered to the front.

[Jason McCarthy]

"Well a young strappin' lad such as yerself must have a lass back home, eh?" Jason asked in a teasing manor. He thought it would break the dimness of death and pain around them. When he asked the question he remembered his own 'lass' as he said back home. Erin was her name. Named after the country itsself. They had been friends from since Jason could remember. He had always liked her, but was too nervous to tell her so. He tried to write to her as often as he could, but seeing as everything was going he didn't get much time to write to anyone. Not even his own mother.

"How many were in yer squad?" Jason asked with much interest. He needed something to keep his mind from wandering into the despair that he easily could fall into.

"Aye, lad. 'Tis my name. Looks like I'll be takin' that break ye offered me in an hour er so." He said with a smile.

"I can't be runnin' off on these poor boys quite yet though. Thar's alot of stuff be needin' attended to." After Jason said the last thing he saw a man start to fuss a little in his bed.

"Excuse me for a moment, laddy. This poor boy needs tendin' to." After that Jason walked away quickly to help the man with his needs.

[Hosp. Aid Patrick O'Connors]

" no i do not got a girl back home, i wish i did. I do not got anything back home but a farm, my parents and grandparents are dead. A family friend is taking care of the farm while i am off helping young lads like these." Patrick said. Patrick just looked to the injured or dead men. He than looked to Jason. "Do you got a Chick back home?, And what made you want to serve?" said Patrick.



Patrick heard Jason ask how many were in his squad. "A couple, that is all you need to know of me squad." Patrick said sternly. Patrick took some blooded bandages off a man and applied new ones one him. The man smiled and nodded, Patrick kept looking to the patients and thought to himself, "Poor bastards they be".



Patrick than heard Jason say how he would take the break in an hour and how he can not leave the boys now. "yes you can, i can take care of the lads, they are not that hard to look over." Patrick chuckled. Patrick closed his eyes and saw an image of a little boy he once saw on the front and how he was killed. Patrick's eyes shot open and he took a deep breath, His right hand started to shake. This was always something Patrick tried not to speak of or even think of. It was very hard for him to do so.





Patrick heard jason than excuse himself to go tend to a lad. "Aye" Patrick said. Patrick than walked to the table where his journal was, He picked it up and looked at it forgeting he had blood on his hands. "Shit!, i got blood on me journal" Patrick said rather loudly. Patrick than set it down and looked to Jason tending to the Lad. He thought to himself "One hell of a Medic".

[Jason McCarthy]

Jason heard Patrick reply to one of his questions and he quickly answered. "Aye,her name be Erin. She was my friend since I was just a young lad. I never got to tellin' her how I felt. I be such a coward." He said with some remorse. He wished he could go back before he was shipped off so he could tell her, but he had lost his chance. Hopefully not forever.

"It's quite a wierd story how I came to bein' in the service." Jason said with a smirk. "Well one day I was walkin' me father's dog when I saw a man with a rifle and all that military stuff. He looked pretty dapper in it if I do say so myself. I thought I'd go into that, but I wasn't the best shot in trainin' so I became a medic. My father helped me with all of the medical things. I guess the true reason for my joining is because I heard one of Hitler's speeches. Apolling 'twas. The things he said about Jews and whatnot. It goes against me religion to hate a Jew ye know." Jason cut himself off there.

When Jason heard the reply to the question about Patrick's squad he just said,"I be sorry if I be upsettin' ye. Curiousity got the best of me."

Jason walked away and was tending to a patient when he heard Patrick curse. He looked over quickly thinking something went wrong with a patient. He was wrong. Patrick had only gotten blood on his journal. Jason started laughing to himself as he said to his patient, "At least he's not clumsy with scissors." After saying this the both of them both gave a little laugh and Jason gave the man some painkillers and walked back to Patrick.

"A'ight lad. Do ye think ye can take over for me? I must be goin' to get some medicine. It'll count as me break."

[Hosp. Aid Patrick O'Connors]

"That be a interesting story Jason, i was an expert shot but i wanted to be a Medic. I always loved helping people with injuries. I remember as a kid i used to play with friends, the great war, i was always a field medic." Patrick said and smiled. Patrick than looked off into the distance and remember his past. After gettign out of the daze he looked around abit. He thanclosed his eyes again for a breif moment. The image of the kids face came back. Patrick fell back against a wall and sat. He started weeping a bit and was shaking. Patrick than reached into his medical bag. He pulled out a small bible he kept with him. He started saying a prayer. After praying he put it away and stood up. He had stopped weeping but kept shaking. After about 5 minutes he stopped shaking and tried to continue on with the patients. Patrick was embarrased to have been seen in that condition. Patrick did not want to have to explain the story. He decided he must tell Jason when he gets the chance.



"Yeh i can take over for ya, and it will not count as your break, you did not offend me about my squad it is just something i prefer not to talk about. Maybe at some other time i will talk to you about some things i saw in Europe" Patrick said. Patrick looked over to some of the patients, one of which was waving his hand for patrick to come over. Patrick walked to the patient and asked him what he needed. The patient handed Patrick a letter, nodded and than passed away. Patrick's jaw dropped and he just stared to the dead man. He than opened the letter and started reading it. It was to a realitive back home, most likly the mans parents. Hell the man did not look over 25. Patrick closed the letter than set it on the table. He waited for Jason to come back before telling him to find out that mans home adress and send the letter there.

[Jason McCarthy]

Jason saw Patrick fall back and look like he had just went in and out of shock he started shaking and weeping a bit. He then took out a Bible and said a prayer. Jason went to the man and sat next to him and put an arm around his shoulder. "Calm down lad. It's okay. You're fine here." Jason said trying to comfort Patrick. "Ye alright now lad?" Jason said when he saw Patrick stand up and tell him a few things.

"Well lad i thank ye. Maybe we'll talk about sad times but there are always good times to be rememberin'." Jason said with some happiness. When he said 'good times' he remembered being a boy back in Dublin. Always getting into trouble with his friends. He was always very mischievious when it came to his hometown. He'd always play pranks on the old man who lived next door. The man was kind and would always laugh at what Jason and his friends would do.

Jason had stopped remembering the past and remembered the present. He still needed to get some painkillers for the men. The hospital hadn't been stocked in days.

"Well lad. I must be off to get some medicine for these ol' boys. Take good care of 'em while I'm gone. After saying this to Patrick, Jason walked to his room and took off his white coat and out on his tattered green one with a small red cross on his sleeve and the Irish Flag on his other. He went to the front desk and told the front desk nurse that he would be back in a little bit.

He made his way to the front door and pushed it open. What a cold day. He thought to himself as he started his journey to the drug store ten blocks away.

[Hosp. Aid Patrick O'Connors]

Patrick Heard Jason telling him to remember good times not bad ones. "i try to think of good ones but whenever i close my eyes i see the kid again." Patrick said. Patrick reached into his medical bag and pulled out his last cigarette. He than took out a lighter and lit it. After taking a couple puffs from it he felt relieved. he continued on checking the patients. He found about ten minutes to go check on Aldo. So he did so, when he walked into the room there was another patient. Patrick asked a nurse who was helping the new patient where aldo was. She told Patrick that aldo had passed from his wounds. This threw Patrick into a depression. Aldo was one of Patrick's best friends. Patrick thought how could Aldo die he was such a strong man. Patrick returned down toward where Jason was and heard jason tell Patrick to help the patients well he went to get some medicine. Patrick agreed to it and watched over the patients for a bit. After about an half an hour Patrick dozed off from not sleeping in four to five days. Patrick quickly woke up when he heard the air raid sirens again. " Not these fucking things again!" Patrick yelled. Patrick than jumped on to the ground and covered the back of his head. The building started to shake. Patrick knew somewhere in the town was hit but he did not know where. Patrick than hopped up and ran to one of the patients and started to help him. there was only about twenty five to forty patients in the hospital currently. Patrick told the nurse to start getting the patients to the basement of the hospital the best place to be safe in that damned place. Together the nurse and Patrick started to take patient one by one down to the basement untill they got down to the last five. The problem now was it had been a half an hour since the siren started and very three minutes the building would shake. Patrick knew that the city was screwed. He knew his best hope would be to get his crap, find Jason and get them both the hell out of there and fast. Patrick ran to the table where his journal was and placed it into his medical bag. He than ran out of the hospital and toward the drug store that Jason was heading to. Once he arrived there he told Jason that they needed to get out of the town now.

[Jason McCarthy]

Jason was walking down the calm stone streets enjoying what small quiet he had nowadays. He had walked about eight blocks when he heard noise. It didn't sound like any noise he had heard in a while. He looked up and saw an airplane. He looked in some sort of fascination until he saw what it unleashed. A heavy bomb was dropped from the middle of the plane and was plummeting to the ground. Jason snapped out of it and realized what was happening and started to run to the drug store.

One house, two house, Jason passed them. He dare not look to his left or right fearing that if he did he would surely be hit by an explosion. He made it to the store and threw himself into it with an explosion about thirty feet behind him. He stood up, brushed his coat and pants off and looked up. There he saw an elderly man about sixty or so. He said, "How can I help you, young man?"

Jason looked at the man in disbelief and wondered why the man wasn't taking cover. "Ey, excuse me askin' sir but, shouldn't ye be in yer basement?" He asked. The old man just laught and said, "You young people make me laugh. So what can I get for you young man?"

Jason was about to reply when Patrick burst through the door looking white as a sheet.

"Didn't I tell ye to stay in the hospital?" Jason asked. He heard Patrick cut him off. He said that they should get out of the town.

"Well lad, do ye think it'd be in the people's best interest that we do?" Jason asked.

[Hosp. Aid Patrick O'Connors]

"People's interest? Hell i do not care if others care, i am telling you we need to get out of here. sooner or later them kraut jerries plane will kill us. Me and the nurse got all the patients down in the basement. i do not know about you but i am getting out of this city, and for you sir would oyu like to get out of here as well?" Patrick said. Suddenly a smaller bomb hit the building. It only caved the roof in. Patrick quickly grabbed Jason and got him out of there. Patrick went back in for the old man. When he looked where the old man had been standing there was a huge log from the roof there and under it was the old mans body. Patricks grabbed whatever medicine he could find and stuffed it into his medical bag. He than ran outside to were he brought jason to. He lifted Jason and examined him. "you be alright mate" Patrick said. Patrick looked across the street to a car. He than ran to it and smashed the driver side window. He unlocked the car and got in it. the keys were already in it. Patrick thought of himself lucky for this once. Bombs were hitting the city like crazy. Patrick motioned for jason to get in the car. Patrick started to drive to the hospital with or without Jason in the car. Once Patrick got near the hospital a bomb hit it. it blew most of the hospital up. Patrick kept driving till he got out of town.



"Damn Jerries!, Damn you!!!!" Patrick shouted out the window. Patrick was so upset he did not know what to do. Once he stopped the car at a safe distance, he searched the car for anything he could use. In the glove department there was a pack of cigarettes and a small bottle of whiskey. Patrick took both of them. Patrick did not know if Jason was in the car or not but he still said "we must get a move on we are walking from here, if we drive any longer we will be a target." Patrick said. Patrick walked toward a small hill that had a nice sized tree on it. He stood by the tree and watched the bombers bomb the city. He put his head back,closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Patrick was dissapointed to know the city was being bombed the hell out of.





Patrick sighed and started going through his medical bag. He started reading the labels of the medicines he had grabbed. Patrick also took out the whiskey the cigs and even his journal. He organized it on the grass. when he got to the bottom he found a bar of chocolate. he took it and broke a piece off. He than offered some to what he thought to be Jason but he was still unaware if it was him or not. Patrick than put his head back and closed his eyes. He just thought of better times. He than grabbed the bottle of whiskey and took a swig out of it. "God save the queen and england" Patrick said.

[Jason McCarthy]

Jason had barely registered what had happened when he felt a hard tug on his coat and Patrick was yelling at him. Jason's ear drums had been popped and he was horribly disoriented. He looked at Patrick in a daze and then at his hands. He sat there for about ten seconds until his hearing finally came back. He heard Patrick's voice. He was yelling. He told Jason that he was leaving so Jason followed him out of the shop.

Jason followed Patrick to a car where he saw him hop into. He saw him start up the car. I'd better hurry. Jason thought to himself as he started running to the car. He quickly opened up the back-seat door and jumped in. The car just pulled off as soon as Jason was in.

Jason was laying in the back-seat of the car for about thirty minutes until he felt the car stop. He was very sore and had a throbbing headache. He felt like just laying there until he died. He knew he couldn't, though. He sat up in the car and rubbed his face. He then opened the door and stepped out. There he saw Patrick sitting organizing his stuff. Jason went and sat next to him. Patrick seemed a bit shaken and slightly distant. Jason was then offered a piece of chocolate. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten chocolate, so, he took the piece and popped it into his mouth. He then laid on his back and put his hands on his face.

"What happened to the old man and the hospital, Patrick? Is everybody okay? Where we be?" Jason asked rapidly. He was still a bit dazed from the trip.